Traditional Wedding ceremony and dancing in Shika Adabu ended with a night trip to the hospital

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So yesterday was definetly a busy and adventurous day. The morning I just ran a few errands, one of which was making reservations at a hotel for when my parents come! =) Only 11 more days.. can't wait! A little after 11 I went to the post office and grabbed a Matatu to the ferry. I was going to Shika Adabu (on mainland Mombasa) where Lia was staying to go to a wedding yesterday and today. The matatu ride was only about 10-15 min. Getting on the ferry was really easy, but I felt kind of awkward. I was the only white and got lots and lots of stares. I also heard "Ona, Mzungu!" "look, a white!" quite a bit. Lia met me on the other side and after buying some water we grabbed a Matatu to Shika Adabu. (the other side of the ferry is pretty crazy with all the people, little shop stands and vehicles driving everywhere there's a little space) It's definetely a place where you have to watch your belongings really closely. My backpack was locked so nobody could unzip the pockets. The Matatu ride to the little village she had spent the week at wasn't too far.

The afternoon was pretty relaxing and Lia and I just kicked back. She hadn't been feeling all that well the last few days, but was feeling better that morning. It was fun to have some girl talk. =) Been missing that. We were going to head over to the ceremony for the bride (even though the bride doesn't partake in the ceremony) that's traditionally the day before the wedding, but doesn't take place very often anymore. We were supposed to head over there at 1, but ended up having to wait several hours for the grandma.

Once we were there though it was great. The Kunywi (don't know if I spelled it correctly), which is a group of women that traditionally taught a woman for a month (and now just a week) before a wedding things about being a good wife including things about cooking, sex, keeping a household, etc. The Kunywi normally just dress in Kangas and only married women are allowed at this ceremony. Lia and I were taken into this small room packed with women. In the corner were 3 women drumming and there was a little space where 2 women danced at a time. The two women danced facing each other and started with moving the one foot in and out and then repeating with the other foot, then switching sides with eachother. After that it was all about rotating the hips. The women had us dance with them. When they had Lia go up and dance with them I asked a few women around me if it was ok for me to take a picture and they said it was fine. So, I took out my camera and was ready to shoot when suddenly one of the old Kunwyi started shouting "No picture! No picture!" The music stopped and there was some arguing among the women. It as sooo awkward and the tension was very high. I was ready to have to get up and leave the ceremony. I put my camera away immediately and Lia and I kept reassuring both the woman that didn't want us to take any pictures and the women (not all who were Kunwyi) who thought we should be able to take a picture (especially if it was just of one of us) that it was ok, we didn't need to take pictures. I didn't touch my camera the rest of the evening. The drumming started up again and dancing continued. It was all ok, but it re-established why I'm very wary about taking pictures at weddings even if some of the women say it's ok.

We we danced for a bit and then left the room for a break. (It was way too hot in there) We then got to talk to the bride to be who was resting in another room. That was really neat. We then went back to the house Lia had been staying at. She wasn't feeling all that great and was running a slight fever, so she wanted to relax.

We then got called back to the wedding celebration 'cause the Kunywi women wanted Lia to show some other women how to dance. We're soooo glad we went back. Again the two of us joined in all the dancing and things got crazy this half. When we first got there a few of the women danced like they had when we were there earlier, but then some kangas were brought out as gifts to the bride. A women got up and said stuff while they counted out the kangas (there were six) I really wish I could've understood what was said. After the Kangas were given to an older woman accepting them for the bride (probably her aunt) other gifts were brought out and money was also given. After things had been said about the gifts (they were common household items that any bride would need) the Kunwyi women (and Lia and me) filed into the room the bride was in resting. We stood on one side of the room and they bride lay on the bed that was hidden behind a sheet. We did a little dance with one of the Kangas and moved towards and then away from the bed.

After that we filed back into the room with the drummers and two women brought in the pillows (that will be on the wedding bed) wrapped in a couple kangas. The pillows were set in the middle of the room and we danced around the pillows and then sort of massaged them and danced around them some more. Then we divided into three lines. One straddling the pillows and two on either side of em. The dancing was all about keeping the hips moving. We sat down (and remeber this is a very crowded room so we were practically on top of eachother) with our legs out to the side of the woman in front of us. Even while sitting our hips were supposed to be rolling... not an easy thing to do. Then we leaned to one side and lifted the opposite leg and then the other side always keeping the hips moving. After we did that a few times we got up on all fours (our butts were in eachother's faces) and we continued to move our hips. There was definetely a lot of sexual energy in that room.

After that we were done with the pillows and the kangas were untied and two women picked up the pillows with their teeth and handed them to the woman who had accepted the other gifts. After that we were divided into two groups facing eachother. I think one was supposed to represent the bride and the other side the groom. The women sang and depending on what they were singing one side would move towards the other emulating certain things. With that the ceremony was just about over. A few of the older Kunwyi women danced a little more and there was some grinding going on. Those women know how to use their hips. Before we left we had to go over to the woman who had accepted the gifts. From her we recieved a one shilling coin that we had to retrieve with our mouth and then put the shilling into our bra. I'm not sure why we had to do that, but I'm not spending that shilling, ever!

It was sooooo amazing to get to take part like we had. The Kunwyi is almost like a secret society and they can be very wary about talking to outsiders or letting outsiders into ceremonies like we went to. So even to go to one was wonderful in and of itself, but to be able to take part in all the dancing and talk to the bride and so forth was more than either of us had anticipated. It was such a wonderful experience. I was very much looking forward to the actual wedding the following day when I would be able to talk to women and the bride about my research. I had developed contacts from dancing (and actually knowing how to move my hips, which they don't expect of white women). Lia defintely got a better in though as the Kunwyi all agreed that she's ready for marriage... she knows how to move. =) It was a great time. We ended it by sitting outside eating buscuits and drinking cinnamon tea. Very peaceful. (although I don't understand how people here can drink tea all the time when it's soooooo hot here!)

When we got back to Lia's house she was feeling worse and her fever had spiked. She didn't want to head into the hospital 'cause she wasn't nauseas and didn't have the chills (symptoms of malaria) and figured she'd just see how she felt in the morning. We lay on the bed and recorded what we had experienced that day (audio recorder). When we were done she said she had the chills and we decided it wouldn't be wise to wait. (Malaria can be a very fast advancing disease). It was also already dark and if it got any later it would be very very unsafe for us to head back to the island to go to the hospital. As it was it was already after 8 and we had to pack up our things, get a matatu to the ferry, a ferry to the island, a matatu from the ferry to the post office, walk to old town to drop off our stuff and then grab a tuktuk to one of the hospitals.

Her host family didn't think it was safe for us (two white women) to be at the ferry after dark. So, two of the guys went with us and carried our bags. (we tried to carry them ourselves but they said it was safer if they were carried by guys) They took us all the way to the other side and made sure we got on a matatu safely. It was very very nice of them. Walking around the post office area and old town I felt safe, so I wasn't worried about that. We dropped off our stuff and then the two of us set out to find a tuktuk to Aga Khan hospital. Of course those things are everywhere when you don't need them, but no where to be found when you're walking around in the dark in need of one. We finally found one and he wanted to charge us double the usual rate (because we're white) so I had to argue with him (in swahili) and tell him that we wouldn't pay that much and quoted him the normal price.

We made it to the hospital and Lia got checked out. Turns out it wasn't malaria (good thing) but was a bacterial infection. It was still a good thing we had decided not to wait the night though. She really wasn't feeling good and being sick in an area that doesn't even have electricity can be quite trying. Her fever was also quite high and she had to get a shot to bring it down. After the blood work was done we got the medicines needed (they're always a 24hr pharmacy open at all the hospitals) and a couple hours after arriving were ready to leave and get her into bed. Again finding a tuktuk took a little time and a walk down a really dark street but we found one. Again they wanted to charge us double the fair and again I had to argue with the driver for the regular price. Having white skin that night was really starting to bother me. anyway...

We made it back and I dropped Lia off at Egan, Katina and Leigh's place grabbed my bag and walked home (just a couple minutes away) to fall into bed. It had been a long and exciting day. Never a dull day with Lia. =)

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